


Ward

by Rushar



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Hurt, Grief/Mourning, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 02:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17153180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rushar/pseuds/Rushar
Summary: Caleb talks to a coat(Im really tired and I promise I'll write a better summary tomorrow)((He never wrote a better summary))





	Ward

Icy tendrils had wrapped around the Empire, breathing snow and frost onto the northernmost parts of the continent and leaving the rest to shiver, clouds of breath hanging in the air. Further near the border, on a treacherous route that left all in the current party on edge, it was difficult to find the marker in the falling snow. There was no reason to be afraid, for their threat had been resolutely taken care of months ago, but for those who had experienced the trauma and heartbreak along this path, it tore open wounds that hadn't fully recovered.  
Caleb, who had always stuck to the back, now walked on his own over to where he knew the grave had to be. The rest were asleep, Yasha left on watch several hundred feet away. They couldn't make it to the grave by nightfall, and Yasha had only nodded faintly when Caleb left his watch to go on ahead. He needed time. He needed to think.  
He wished his perfect memory had flaws - its usefulness seemed not to be worth reliving the blood staining the ground and the last dying act of Mollymauk Tealeaf. It haunted him every time he thought of the tiefling. Each bright laugh and happy memory of Molly was tainted by the sickening noise of a sword being put through his chest, ending his already too-short life.  
Caleb briefly stuttered in his walk when he saw a flash of deep maroon fabric, somehow still waving in the wind, untouched by passing travellers. He would have expected such a flashy coat to be gone by now, but as he drew closer, he paused. On speculation, he cast detect magic, and watched as a magical aura now billowed around the coat.  
“Ah, Mister Mollymauk,” Caleb hummed, voice sounding strange and raspy even to his own ears. “It looks like someone was looking out for you, even in death.” Caleb carefully stepped closer and examined the faint smudge marks of burned incense and the magical glyph that now nestled between the embroidery on Molly's coat. “Gods, someone must have really been looking out for you. I guess I will just sit here then, ja? Do not want to disturb your protection.”  
The coat, unsurprisingly, did not answer. Caleb brushed away a patch of snow and stared up at it. He felt a bit silly, no doubt getting hypothermia and talking to a coat, but words weighed heavy on his chest and they were falling from his lips anyway. “You know, we have gone on quite a few adventures since the last one. I feel like you would have enjoyed them greatly. You would have made a great pirate.” Caleb chuckled, imagining Molly standing atop the crow's nest, wind in his hair as he gazed out over the open ocean with a smile. “It has been… difficult without you. No matter what has happened, we haven't forgotten you. Not once, not ever.” Caleb grimaced. “Though I think I wish Jester had, just a little bit. I did not need to hear such things from her about your, ah, your… nevermind.”  
The wind whistled in response and Caleb shivered. “Mollymauk, there is a lot that I wish I could say to you now. How I am no longer so cowardly, how much better I feel with this group. There was a time when I worried we were becoming too cruel. You'd never believe it, but Beau was the one who kept us straight. Well.” He shrugged. “I don't suppose that could ever be taken too literally. She reminded us of you, and how - how you wanted to leave a town better than when you'd left it.” Caleb paused to brush snow out of his face and his hand came away warm with fresh tears. “Molly, I miss you so much. I would try to bring you back, but, heh, I think you would be upset at waking up yet again. I would not want to do that to you, friend. You have earned your rest. I just… I wish it did not have to come so soon.” Caleb did nothing to stop the tears slowly making their way down his face until they froze into his half-grown scruffy beard. His heart ached and his chest burned with pain, a longing that had never quite gone away.  
“Molly,” Caleb breathed, then choked out a rough sob. He covered his mouth quickly and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing out more tears that clung to his lashes. “You - you changed all of us. In ways we can never tell you now. You showed me what hope looks like, Molly. You were the living definition of a second chance and you never wasted it. And now - now you're gone, and we're left here without you. Without our shining circus man.”  
Calen stood up and wiped his tears away, shivering from his overwhelming emotions and the bitter cold. He looked at the grave one last time before the morning, when he would visit with the rest, then glanced up to the sky. Even though the snow still whirled in small flusters, the clouds had parted just enough for the light of one moon to slip through, casting a moonbeam directly onto Molly's coat.  
“Moonweaver.” Caleb's voice was hoarse, but he spoke to the goddess anyway. “I hope Molly has found peace now. And… if it is not too selfish, I hope that I may find peace someday as well, even though I am now living without him.”  
Maybe it was his imagination, but for a few seconds, the moon seemed to glow just a little brighter. Caleb sniffled, and turned to head back to the camp. Each foot in front of the other was slow and painful, snow crunching beneath his feet. He almost missed his name being called, almost missed the achingly familiar accented voice that echoed from behind him.  
“Why Mister Caleb, it is ever so wonderful to see you again.”

**Author's Note:**

> its five a.m. christmas morning and im really missing someone and i just started writing and i probably wont ever continue this but now ive hopefully made everyone else sad as well, youre welcome


End file.
